Note that the horror in this story does not come from the ghosts. The much more terrible question from the perspective of both the reader and the governess concerns the innocence of the children. In Freudian terms, James presents ambiguity about whether they are essentially Apollonian or Dionysian creatures. When the children misbehave, are they merely showing the "spirit" of otherwise good people? Or is their lovely innocence an act that covers the corruption of children under the demonic influence of ghosts?
Note the sexual undertones. Peter Quint and Ms. Jessel appear to be people of "low morals" -- what does this mean? It means that Quint was rather easy with women, and Ms. Jessel consented to be seen with him in spite of his low class and bad reputation. We can infer what sort of ideas or corruption their ghosts might have exercised on the children.
Yet James never makes the precise nature of the evil the ghosts represent clear. We are left to imagine just what the ghosts might do to the young--and this lack of clarity combined with a sense that something terrible is going to happen makes the reader's imagination wander to terrible possibilities filled with the subtext and atmosphere of the novel.
Finally, it is of course worth noting the ambiguity of the ending. Do the ghosts finally claim Miles--or does the governess strangle the boy in her arms? It is unclear whether the villain of this novel is indeed ethereal evil or suffocating Victorian norms.
"[Flora] was the most beautiful child I had ever seen." - 7
"But as my little conductress [Flora] danced before me round corners and pattered down passages, I had the view of a castle of romance inhabited by a rosy sprite." - 9
" 'I take what you said to me at noon as a declaration that you've never known [Miles] to be bad?'
...'I don't pretend that!'
'Then you have known him?'
'Yes indeed, miss, thank God!'
'You mean that a boy who never is--'
'Is no boy for me!' 'You like them with the spirit to be naughty? ... So do I! ... But not to the degree to contaminate...' " -11-12
"There was in this beautiful little boy something extraordinarily sensitive, yet extraordinarily happy." - 19
"There was one direction, assuredly, in which these discoveries stopped: deep obscurity continued to cover the region of the boy's conduct at school." - 18
"I still hear myself cry as I fairly thew myself into her arms: 'They know--it's too monstrous: they know, they know!" -29
" ' Then ask Flora--she's sure! ... No, for God's sake, don't!She'll say she isn't--she'll lie!" -30
Note the sexual undertones. Peter Quint and Ms. Jessel appear to be people of "low morals" -- what does this mean? It means that Quint was rather easy with women, and Ms. Jessel consented to be seen with him in spite of his low class and bad reputation. We can infer what sort of ideas or corruption their ghosts might have exercised on the children.
Yet James never makes the precise nature of the evil the ghosts represent clear. We are left to imagine just what the ghosts might do to the young--and this lack of clarity combined with a sense that something terrible is going to happen makes the reader's imagination wander to terrible possibilities filled with the subtext and atmosphere of the novel.
Finally, it is of course worth noting the ambiguity of the ending. Do the ghosts finally claim Miles--or does the governess strangle the boy in her arms? It is unclear whether the villain of this novel is indeed ethereal evil or suffocating Victorian norms.
"[Flora] was the most beautiful child I had ever seen." - 7
"But as my little conductress [Flora] danced before me round corners and pattered down passages, I had the view of a castle of romance inhabited by a rosy sprite." - 9
" 'I take what you said to me at noon as a declaration that you've never known [Miles] to be bad?'
...'I don't pretend that!'
'Then you have known him?'
'Yes indeed, miss, thank God!'
'You mean that a boy who never is--'
'Is no boy for me!'
'You like them with the spirit to be naughty? ... So do I! ... But not to the degree to contaminate...' " -11-12
"There was in this beautiful little boy something extraordinarily sensitive, yet extraordinarily happy." - 19
"There was one direction, assuredly, in which these discoveries stopped: deep obscurity continued to cover the region of the boy's conduct at school." - 18
"I still hear myself cry as I fairly thew myself into her arms: 'They know--it's too monstrous: they know, they know!" -29
" ' Then ask Flora--she's sure! ... No, for God's sake, don't! She'll say she isn't--she'll lie!" -30